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spondee wrote:If you like the limited areas Patterson covers and if you think you're interested in big law long term, go to Patterson.

Do you think K&E has better exit options if you don't want to be there your whole life or might want to leave NY?

Yeah, in general, I think exit options would be better out of K&E. I do think Patterson is well-known within NY within its limited practice areas, but outside of that, it really isn't. So if the exit options that interest you are not within NY or are not within those practice areas, Patterson won't have the same signaling effect on your resume that K&E would. Beyond that, even within NY, within those practice areas, K&E seems to have bigger clients, which will likely have an impact on the quality and quantity of in-house options.

The major benefit to Patterson seems to be that, although attorneys there work hard, too, they seem to strike a more humane work-life balance than the V10 firms that they compete with for associates. And if your goal is to make partner, it seems like you'd live a happier, healthier life at Patterson (even though you'd be richer at K&E).

And fwiw, only a 3L. So no expert on any of this. Just considered these two firms, among others, last year.